Groupon Guide

A spa day is generally a luxury saved for adulthood. Which is totally understandable—you’ve finally learned how to file tax forms and increase your daily fiber intake! Treat yo' self! But kids can benefit from a little TLC as well, and many spas even have treatments tailored just for them, from teen facials to therapeutic massage. Below, we’ve highlighted four such treatments, as well as a few things to consider before moms go ahead and book those first appointments.Acne is a rite of passage for many teenagers, much like starting high school or asking Santa for a driver’s license. Unfortunately, pimples can quickly become a source of self-consciousness. Help your teen out by booking a facial—aestheticians are trained to find a combination of professional-strength products that will clear pores without being too harsh on young skin. (Their choices might include an oil-fighting clay mask and anti-acne ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and sulfur.) They can also recommend an at-home regimen to help improve skin over time.
Pro tip: Have your teen take weekly selfies to document any changes in their complexion. If you don’t notice much improvement, the aesthetician might want to try a different treatment, tweak their product recommendations, or suggest a dermatologist.
Is your kid an athlete or a dancer? Sports massages are extremely therapeutic for overworked muscles and can help rehabilitate injuries, shorten recovery time, and improve performance by increasing flexibility and range of motion. Investing in massage therapy could be particularly helpful if your child is serious about pursuing athletics or dance in college.
Pro tip: Be sure to let the spa’s staff know the massage is for your teen. They will likely need to make sure they have a same-sex therapist available.
Deciding whether your teen is old enough to wear makeup can be a tough call. But once you’ve OKed it, why not celebrate the milestone with a proper application and lesson? Not only can a trained makeup artist teach your teen some age-appropriate techniques, but they can recommend cosmetics that won’t be too heavy for their (potentially acne-prone) skin.
And while you’re at it, why not schedule some time for your daughter to sit down with a stylist? Maybe she inherited your curls, and neither of you have really figured out how to wrangle them. Or maybe she just wants to learn how to french-braid her own hair for volleyball games. Most pros are happy to book some extra time during appointments for styling demos.
Pro tip: At many salons, the cost of a makeup application can be applied toward product purchases. The day will feel even more special when your daughter gets her own lip gloss and eye shimmer to take home.
If your teen’s not really into makeup or sports and has been blessed with clear skin, then perhaps a mother-daughter mani-pedi is a better bet. It’ll give you a good hour or so of bonding time, which is probably the most you’ve had since helping her write that letter to Santa. Who knows? It might even become a ritual the two of you will continue to enjoy as she grows up.
Pro tip: Let the nail salon know you’ll be together so that they can reserve side-by-side pedicure chairs and manicure tables.
Just because you think your child is old enough for a treatment doesn’t mean your local spa will. Many spas have rules regarding clients under the age of 18. You may be required to book a concurrent treatment for yourself or at least stay on the premises.
If possible, listen in on any consultations. Let’s get real: how many parents could see themselves asking their child what their aesthetician recommended, only to have them say, “I don’t know, wash my face more or whatever.” Not knowing what to do next would sort of defeat the purpose of booking the treatment in the first place (and be a waste of money).
Plus, you can ask questions your kid might not think to. How often should they be getting treatments? Should they be doing stretches or exercises at home? What types of skincare products should they start using, and are there viable drugstore alternatives?

You don’t have gross feet. You know who has gross feet? Runners. Compared to the general population, runners brutalize their poor feet with blisters, broken toenails, and other ailments. “My toes usually bare the brunt of the damage. I've lost some toenails along the way,” said Natalie, a runner who has competed in 76 races since 2002. But for the mom of two, it’s a small price to pay for the thrill running gives her: completing an Ironman, finishing a 5K in under 21 minutes, notching a personal record at the Milwaukee Marathon while she was eight weeks pregnant.So if busted feet are just part of the price of running, what are runners to do? One small indulgence is a pedicure. Natalie likes to schedule one just before her races. “I need some pampering after all of the work I put into training,” she said.
And those poor feet of hers? “Once [a nail technician] asked if I dropped something on my toes,” she said. “That's the only time I am sorry about being a runner. … I feel self-conscious for a millisecond and then get back to reading my girly mag.”
If you’re still concerned that your feet are too gross for a pedicure, then listen to the experts. We spoke to three nail-salon professionals: Katie Grays, owner of Bella Donna Day Spa in San Jose; Irene from Fifi Nail Salon in New York City; and Barb Shea from Team Blonde outside Chicago, who spoke to us at length about nail-salon etiquette. All three assured us that you have nothing to worry about.
Below, the three reasons you can relax and learn to love your feet:
They’ve seen it all
“We are the professionals and we see it all,” Katie said. “So if you think that you are ‘weird’ or ‘strange,’ ask us. You will be surprised how frequently we see it.”
“We take care of all kinds,” Irene said, “from the beautiful feet to the warted feet.”
“We’d rather educate our clients than be grossed out,” said Barb. “So if we see a built-up callus, we’ll reduce it as much as we can and then give the client recommendations [to keep it from coming back]. As far as yellow toenails, that’s usually from polish, [and] we’ll tell them how to take care of it.”
They have services to care for the gnarliest of feet
There’s probably a solution at the salon for what ails your dogs. Irene noted Fifi Salon’s European medical pedicure, which takes aim at calluses and ingrown toenails, finishing with a 15-minute reflexology treatment.
Even if they can’t treat you, they can refer you
“If you suffer from ingrown nails, we can assist … but only to a certain point,” Katie said. “The State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology will only allow us to go so far. If you have a large ingrown then we may refer you to your doctor. Please don't ask us to go further, we simply can't. We would love to help as much as we can, but we don't want to make it worse either."
“If someone were to have a foot fungus, we’ll ask them, ‘Have you noticed your toenails looking different?’” Barb said. “Nine times out of 10, they already know what they have. We can’t diagnose them, but we can refer them to a podiatrist.”
Illustration by Kelly MacDowell, Groupon

Some days, it feels like the only reason Instagram and Pinterest exist is to propagate unattainably beautiful nail art. While you could certainly commission a pro to create an intricate manicure, the cost of custom nail art can add up quickly.
And as it turns out, some of those seemingly complicated techniques are much simpler than you might think. We talked to self-taught nail artist Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus about the six essential items for a home toolkit and what types of effects you can create with them. (After getting your base coat professionally applied at a nail salon, of course. You want to make sure you start off on the right foot—er, hand.)1. Striping and Scotch Tapes
What they’re used for: Striping (duh) and color-blockingHow to use them: Striping tape is essential for creating thinner lines of color (shown at right). Wait until your base coat is totally dry, adhere the tape in whatever pattern you’d like, then paint over it with a second color. “Take up the tape while the top color is still wet to prevent peeling,” Amelia said. For larger blocks of color, though, just use plain-old Scotch tape.Photo courtesy of The Wow Style via Pinterest2. Makeup Sponges
What they’re used for: Gradients and “galaxy” nailsHow to use them: To create ombre-inspired gradients, simply paint multiple colors in parallel, touching lines onto a single sponge. Then, press the sponge onto your nail (shown at left). Amelia likes this technique because it allows you to build color until it’s as vibrant as you want. A lighter touch creates an entirely separate effect, however. “Smaller dabs of different colors can give a cool space effect for galaxy nails,” she said. To polish off this look (no pun intended), she suggested incorporating glitter for a starry effect.Photo courtesy of Instagram user deborahlippmann via Pinterest3. Bobby PinsWhat they’re used for: Polka dotsHow to use them: “These are straightforward in theory, if not in practice, when trying to keep your non-dominant hand steady,” Amelia admitted. Simply dot polish onto the heads of the bobby pins, then dot the pins onto your nails. Bonus tip: use bobby pins and toothpicks to create dots of varied sizes.Photo courtesy of Instagram user amnorton1212 via Pinterest4. Rubbing AlcoholWhat it’s used for: Newsprint transfers
How to use it: Though it looks impossibly intricate, Amelia said this trick might be the easiest of the bunch. Simply soak a piece of newspaper in alcohol (Amelia has experimented with crossword puzzle answer keys), press it on the nail for 30 seconds, then peel it off. “Make sure to use a topcoat or the ink will smudge,” she said.
Bookworms might want to try simple blocks of text, whereas pop-art lovers could dip into the funny pages. Photo courtesy of Beautylish via Pinterest5. Stamping Plates and Stampers
What they’re used for: Stamping, of course
How to use them: Unlike the newspaper trick, stamping is a bit more complicated. “[These] require more initial investment to get and some experimentation once you have them,” Amelia said. Stamping plates have designs etched into them, and the stamper rolls over the surface of the plates. “Paint a layer of polish over the etch, scrape off the [excess] (I use an old gift card, although you can buy actual scrapers for this purpose), roll the stamper over the etch, and then very quickly roll the stamper onto the nail.” (Here’s a short video of the process, which actually shows the makeup-sponge technique as well.)“It takes some practice, and some polishes are better than others,” Amelia said. “You can buy stamping-specific polishes, but some regular brands stamp well, particularly older, slightly dried-out polishes.” She likes the Bundle Monster stamping sets.Photo courtesy of Cosmetic Cupcake via Pinterest6. Cleanup KitThis consists of three items: cotton swabs, petroleum jelly, and topcoat. Swabs dipped in acetone or polish remover can erase mistakes, a coat of Vaseline on your cuticles can prevent polish from sticking during messier projects, and a quick-dry topcoat ensures your fingers stay flawless. Read more about the wide world of nail art:Your French Manicure Can Be Way More FunAstroWifey’s Manicures Are So Good, They Were in a Museum